Karnataka - Bangalore   

Scheme for the girl child gets add-ons

Special Correspondent

LIC to handle Bhagyalakshmi scheme

Bangalore: Several new features, including education and health insurance for girls born in families living below the poverty line (BPL), have been added to the Bhagyalakshmi scheme.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who announced the Bhagyalakshmi scheme in the first Budget of the H.D. Kumaraswamy government in 2006-07, told presspersons here on Thursday that the Life Insurance Corporation would handle the scheme.

Owing to several teething problems, it took the Government over a year to implement the Bhagyalakshmi scheme, which was launched with much fanfare in November. The tie-up with the LIC will be ratified at the next meeting of the Cabinet. The Government will remit Rs. 10,000 with the LIC soon after a newborn girl is registered. Over the past year nearly 1.16 lakh girls have been registered.

Mr. Yediyurappa said an income certificate issued by the jurisdictional tahsildar would have to be produced by beneficiaries to be eligible for various welfare schemes of the Government. Using BPL ration cards as proof of eligibility had led to a misuse of several schemes.

Mr. Yediyurappa said the Government was considering several foolproof measures in the implementation of welfare schemes to ensure that middlemen and commissions were eliminated.

Education

Now, under the Bhagyalakshmi scheme, the Government will pay for the education of two girls born in the BPL families. The payment will be made annually. While the Government will meet the cost of school education, LIC will fund the pre-university course. The annual funding will increase from Rs. 150 in standard one to Rs. 1,000 in standard ten.

On attaining the age of 18, the first girl child in BPL family will receive Rs. 34,165 from the LIC and the second child will receive Rs. 40,918. The difference is due to the insurance cover of Rs. 1 lakh that will be provided to the parents.

Mr. Yediyurappa also announced the formation of a Directorate of Social Security, which would monitor the implementation of all welfare schemes of the Government.

Review

The Deputy Chief Minister on Thursday began reviewing the functioning of all government departments with the departments of Women and Child Welfare, Agriculture, Cooperation and Revenue covered on the first day. The review would continue on May 8 and 9. The Chief Minister would also attend the review meetings if he was not otherwise engaged.

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